Goodell: Stupid changes to NFL concussion policy coming soon

[steelreserve]

LONDON -- The NFL is prepared "to make a change or two" to its concussion protocol, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at a fan forum in London on Saturday as the league faces questions about how the Miami Dolphins handled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's recent injuries.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ssion-protocol

Now, he doesn't actually say they're going to make stupid changes, or even what the changes are. But we all know that as soon as Kneejerk Roger says he's going to make changes in response to a specific high-profile event that got a lot of media attention, whatever he comes up with is going to be bad. I mean terrible. No joke, my phone even autocorrected "changes" to "gayness" while I was typing this - THAT'S how bad it's gonna be.

Anyone want to take bets on what the stupid changes will be?

My guess is they'll automatically suspend you for a week if you get a concussion, four games if you get a second concussion, and the rest of the season if you get a third. They won't call it a suspension, of course, they'll call it "Player Safety Protocol, hurr durr" or something like that. But the result will be the same.

Naturally, people will point out the number of games missed is the same as if you took steroids, and the wieners all say "omg WHAT? You're AGAINST safety?? How could you be against safety? This was signed off on by the same doctor who discovered butt-chugging!" Then inevitably it will end up with Stephen A. Smith invoking white privilege and making comparisons to slavery again.

Lots to look forward to!

[DesertSteel]

Goodell works for the owners and does what they want. When will people understand this? That’s why they pay him $50M a year.

[steelreserve]

Goodell works for the owners and does what they want. When will people understand this? That’s why they pay him $50M a year.

It does explain why so many of the changes that have been made over the past 15 years or so reek of cringeworthy groupthink. Yeah, he's just the ape in the suit that delivers the news, I get that.

Sometimes, though, he gets that gleam in his eye and says "I'M going to fix it!" using whatever leeway he has to act on the owners' behalf when they aren't going to get directly involved. And that is when Kneejerk Roger comes out and the REAL stupid happens.

[Mojouw]

Goodell doesn’t fart without the owners say so.

[Mojouw]

It’s also gonna keep getting worse. Went from having most of the league owned by dudes who worked to make their fortunes. Now it’s mostly guys who are 2+ generations removed from actual work but think listening to some consult deliver a report is rolling up their sleeves and making money.

These guys haven’t ever heard “no” and have zero interest in any collective good or long term gain. Just short term brand optimization thinking.

Despite the blame heaped on Goodell and the players, when the NFL finally goes kablooie, it’ll be the owners that do it.

[DesertSteel]

Goodell doesn’t fart without the owners say so.

And those are expensive farts!

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If good is produced through bad motivations, I’m still happy about it.

[steelreserve]

It’s also gonna keep getting worse. Went from having most of the league owned by dudes who worked to make their fortunes. Now it’s mostly guys who are 2+ generations removed from actual work but think listening to some consult deliver a report is rolling up their sleeves and making money.

These guys haven’t ever heard “no” and have zero interest in any collective good or long term gain. Just short term brand optimization thinking.

Despite the blame heaped on Goodell and the players, when the NFL finally goes kablooie, it’ll be the owners that do it.

The machine has much to fear from your rage.

Your disdain for the wealthy aside, I would say the bigger problem is that very few in the ownership group are football people anymore. Even Art Rooney II is just a fucking lawyer.

Most of these people made enough money to buy an NFL franchise by running some other business that became incredibly popular or successful. They just have no clue what makes football any good. I guess that's reflected in how the audience has expanded to a much wider "casual" fan base at the same time the game has been watered down more and more.

The problem is, the deeper you get into the plastic-fantastic bullshit, the easier it is to think it's always been that way, and everything else is crazy "old time" stuff. Same thing has been happening to baseball, and now that's barely recognizable either. What a shame.